A copyright protects your ownership rights to things that you have created such as writings, photographs, computer programs, sculptures and music.
In Costa Rica, copyright law is governed by Law No. 6683 Ley de Derechos de Autor y Derechos Conexos and subsequent amendments to that law to comply with the World Intellectual Property Organization Treaty.
Costa Rica grants copyright protection to any original intellectual creation, whether artistic, scientific or literary. The copyright protection is granted regardless of whether the creation is subject to registration with the Intellectual Property Registry of Costa Rica. Those that want to formally record and declare the copyright can apply for registration before the Intellectual Property section of the National Registry of Costa Rica located in the capital city of San Jose.
The copyright application must contain (1) the name and address of the author or their legal representative if any; (2) name and address of the author, publisher and printer; (3) the title, description of the work to be copyrighted and place and date of publication; (4) a detailed description of the work. In the case of computer programs, the law requires a copy of the program, description and program manuals. The application must be authenticated by an attorney and contain the documentary stamps required by law.
You can visit the official website of the Costa Rica Intellectual Property office by clicking on the following link: Costa Rica Copyright Office (Registro Nacional)
The application that is presented must be authenticated by a Costa Rican Attorney or NotaryPublic and each application pays US$ 50 in registration fees.
The form for registering the Copyright is set forth below.
The form for registering an artistic literary work is set forth below:
